Crews Clear Vallejo Reservoir System of Sediment, Say Water Is Safe to Drink

VALLEJO (CBS SF) — City crews have flushed the system impacted by sediment in the water of Vallejo’s Swanzy Reservoir affecting about 1,000 households, city officials said Sunday afternoon.

Earlier, city officials asked the affected residents to avoid running the water. Now, these residents are asked to run cold water for 5-10 minutes, city officials said. If sediment or dirt is present, residents should run the water until it’s clear.

Swanzy Reservoir in Vallejo (Google Earth)

If the dirty water persists for more than five minutes, residents should contact the water department’s after-hour customer line at (707) 648-4313, city officials said.

“The city appreciates the patience of those residents impacted and the quick response by city crews to locate, isolate and address the issue,” city officials said in a statement.

The problem began early Sunday morning when a sensor in the reservoir system gave a false reading, causing sediment to be sucked from the bottom of the reservoir into the system, according to city officials.

As a result, discolored, dirty water came out of some residents’ faucets.

The affected households are along Lemon Street to Interstate Highway 780 to Laurel Street and south to Pueblo Way, west to Porter Street and north back to Lemon Street, city officials said.

Swanzy Reservoir is located in south Vallejo, in the hills of the Glen Cove neighborhood near the state Highway 80 Al Zampa Memorial Bridge, which connects Vallejo and Crockett on westbound 80.

The reservoir is one of the oldest reservoirs in the city, dating back to the early 1900s, city officials said.

Vallejo has an estimated population of 121,299, according to the 2016 U.S. Census.